


Ordinary Magic

by owarijanai



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Fluff and just a little angst, I might expand on this au at some point tbh, M/M, Magic AU, Tarot, Vampire Johnny, Wicca, Witchcraft, just a touch, reaper ten, soft, witch taeyong is best taeyong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-06-26 07:30:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19763449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/owarijanai/pseuds/owarijanai
Summary: “Well, to the people of the town, you’re just a witch.”Just a witch. Yeah, Taeyong liked that. He smiled. “Then that’s what I am.”





	Ordinary Magic

**Author's Note:**

> In part inspired by ugglyguccislipper's "We All Have a Hunger" to write more witch!Taeyong, because the world needs more.
> 
> (Also this was supposed to be short, tell me why it's 13.8k words.)

Taeyong’s first memory was of his mom.

She was wearing something flowy and floral, just as always. Her dark hair swept down her back, and when she spoke of Magic, she talked like she was mentioning an old friend.

“ _Magic is old, and it must be respected. It has rules, you know. We don’t know all of them, but we do know Magic requires a price. Wishes, dreams, the like. Any Magic you use—for yourself or someone else—has a price that must be paid._ ”

That was the first of many lessons.

Taeyong remembered them all.

He crushed the herbs with his pestle, grinding them down into a thin powder before he added them to the potion boiling in the cauldron out behind his house. The yard there reached out into the woods, soft grass giving way to squishy, cool moss; he didn’t have a fence save for the old pine trees rising up around his little wood cabin, but he didn’t need one.

This was the only place he ever felt real, ever felt like himself. High up in the woods, away from any wayward visitors, where he could practice his Craft in peace. The potion he was making now was for luck, for hope. He poured it into a mason jar, labelled it, and then took it indoors to place in his cupboard, bare feet padding along the stone steps before he crossed over the threshold and met hardwood instead.

Once inside, he paused, staring out the back window. The cauldron still smoked a little bit even though he’d killed the fire; he’d have to wait for it to cool down before he could move it or try to clean it.

Taeyong sighed, setting the potion down in its rightful spot.

People visited him sometimes, of course. Ten was always a welcome presence, and Johnny made himself known from time to time. Occasionally, a scared little kid from the town in the valley below would show up, eyes darting about, asking for help. Usually it was little things—a scraped knee, directions home, the like.

Taeyong helped them all.

“They all say you’re a witch, you know,” Ten said. He was lounging in Taeyong’s kitchen, sitting on the counter with his feet swinging freely. A variety of Craft materials were strewn around him, evidence of Taeyong’s cooking. “Everyone in town.”

Taeyong shrugged. They could say what they liked about him as long as they left him alone. “Well, they’re not wrong.”

“True, but doesn’t it bother you? Aren’t you afraid a witch hunter will come through and kill you or something?”

“Witch hunters aren’t real.”

“How do you know?”

“Because they aren’t.” They used to be, back when his mother was still a child. But as the years passed, people started believing in Magic less and less until it became the norm to say it wasn’t real. Witch hunters were no longer needed because few people still believed. “There aren’t enough witches around anymore to necessitate the need for them.”

“… Why are you always right?”

Taeyong laughed. He was making dinner, stirring and murmuring little spells under his breath to weave into the food. Nothing insane, just a simple stew. “I’m not. Just sometimes.”

Ten huffed. “That smells good.”

“Thanks.” Taeyong tasted it, frowned. Added some more salt. “It’s almost ready.”

“You make the best food. I guess that’s what kitchen witches do, though, huh?”

“I’m not a kitchen witch.” Taeyong ladled the stew into bowls. He usually didn’t include a lot of red meat in his meals, but Ten never went a meal without eating it—the curse of being a supernatural creature, he guessed. Taeyong didn’t mind; he figured it was good to get some red meat in your diet sometimes. “The best term for me, I guess, would be … eclectic?”

“Don’t they usually call that a hedgewitch?”

“No, hedgewitches are a little different. They focus on hearth and home Magic, that sort of thing.”

Ten gestured around them, at the kitchen decked out in all manner of potions, herbs, and books on the Craft. Crystals were visible around the room too, glinting in the light coming through the multitude of windows; some of them were for cooking, but others were to help nurture the plants in various stages of growth all around the room; all in all, Taeyong supposed, it was a very ‘kitchen witch’ kitchen.

“Isn’t that what you do?” Ten asked.  


“Yes, but it’s not _all_ I do, and it’s not my focus.” He hesitated, unsure, realizing that he’d never explained this to anyone before. He didn’t particularly like putting labels on Magic, especially not his own practice; he’d only ever considered it the Craft, nothing more, nothing less. Trying to quantify his own place in Magic’s flow felt wrong. “I don’t really have a focus, I suppose.”

Ten squinted at him. “You know I hate it when you don’t say what’s on your mind.”

“It’s nothing.” Taeyong frowned, wishing he was better at concealing his emotions. “I’ve just … never really thought about a label for myself before.”

“Well, to the people of the town, you’re just a witch.”

_Just a witch._ Yeah, Taeyong liked that. He smiled. “Then that’s what I am.”

Dawn came, soft and golden, bringing about a new day.

Taeyong got out of bed and padded barefoot to the kitchen, yawning as he started his coffeemaker. He may have been a near-hermit, but he wasn’t about to give up life’s little treasures for an aesthetic. A box TV sat in the corner of his living room, and he had a phone—an old landline he kept in case he needed to make calls to the town. He supposed that was the end of his high-end electronics. Everything else was worn and ancient, requiring Magic to run instead of electricity.

He supposed, in the end, the two were quite similar.

While he sipped his coffee, he glanced at the calendar on his kitchen wall, admiring the scene of misty mountains reflected for June. Today was Friday, the 1st of June. _Summer._ Litha was coming up; he needed to prepare. The solstices were always big celebrations for him, though Samhain was his favorite of all the Sabbats. Yule was nice, too. He enjoyed decorating for that.

Taeyong grabbed his satchel after breakfast and pulled on his shoes, knowing he needed to go down to the town today. He was running low on quite a few things—food being the most pressing. The walk down the mountain was always nice, though, and he was looking forward to the warmth and sunlight.

Outside, the garden in front of his cabin was a burst of color. Taeyong stopped to water the flowers there, taking great care with the azaleas as they’d been acting up, and then left a bowl of heavy cream under a rosebush for any fae who may wander by. They tended to pop up more after Beltane, though he hadn’t seen many this year yet. He lingered on that thought a moment before shrugging it off and starting down the mountain.

His errands were simple:

  * buy 
    * food
    * cleaning supplies
  * drop by Ten’s store
  * say hi to Johnny maybe



Taeyong loved lists and organization. His cabin, and the gardens surrounding it, was always spotless and well cared-for. He took pride in where he lived, and in his Magic, and knew balance in all things was the way to peace. His mother taught him that too, a long time ago.

Though he’d seen it the day before, and the day before that, Taeyong still found his breath taken away every time he reached the lip of the mountain right over the town. From there, he could gaze down across the entire valley, and the view always made something in his chest feel heavy and light all at once. Sunlight streamed down through the various clouds above, falling in golden rays across the mountain range, lighting up the town nestled between two peaks down below. Taeyong took a breath of air heavy with the heady scent of early summer and smiled.

Honestly, he’d never seen himself here, living alone on a mountain, locked in near-endless solitude. The strangest thing, however, was that he seemed to enjoy the silence.

_How much I’ve changed._

Taeyong wanted to get his shopping done soon, but he knew that couldn’t be the first thing he did. Lugging those bags around all afternoon would get annoying. Instead, he decided to go visit Ten’s shop first.

Descending into town was always strange. The path up the mountain let out right next to main street, allowing him to mingle quite easily, but he still got odd looks from a few people along the sidewalk. People had always looked at him strange, as if he was out-of-sync, operating on a different frequency from everyone else. It was nothing new. Taeyong kept his chin up and made his way to Ten’s shop.

The sign on the front said _OPEN_ in black, swirly letters. Taeyong rolled his eyes at Ten’s eccentrics and opened the door, cringing as the bell dinged a sharp note in response.

“Taeyong!” Ten perked up from behind the counter, grinning. He ran an old bookshop. It always smelled like warmth and fire and maybe a little bit like moth balls. But in the wake of winter, the fireplace sat, dusty and unused, in the corner, swapped out for candles and incense sticks. A few piles of books leaned precariously against each other around the fireplace, and Taeyong smiled. It looked like Ten was organizing—or, trying to.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” the shorter man said, coming around the desk to pull Taeyong into a hug. “It gives me an excuse to procrastinate.”

“Doing some late spring cleaning?” Taeyong asked.

Ten groaned into his shirt. “Yes. It’s not going well.”

“I can help, if you want.”

Ten scoffed, pulling away. “Nah. Besides, I want to take a break anyway. My back is killing me. Thank God Jaehyun came in a bit before you or I think I might have thrown my back out. Those books are _heavy_!”

Taeyong blinked. “Jaehyun?”

“He just moved here.” Ten smiled. “Oh, did you have a specific reason for coming by?”

“I had some errands to run in town.”

“Gotcha. Well, make sure to check up on Johnny. He’s been talking about going to see you; I think he wants you to make him something.”

“Something?”

“A potion, most likely.”

Taeyong nodded. When he helped people with his Magic, it came out in different forms depending on the person—Tarot for Ten, mostly; potions for Johnny. Everyone else got what they needed based on what Taeyong could do, anything from a band-aid to a bit of bottled luck. “Oh, speaking of which,” he said, “I haven’t done a reading for you in a while. Do you want one? I have my deck.”

Ten tutted. “You’re such a workaholic.”

“It’s not work, it’s—”

“— _Magic_. I know, love.” Ten smiled. “Still, don’t you think you deserve to take a break?”

“ _You_ can’t. Why should I?”

“That’s different.” He gave a dismissive wave, moving to straighten a couple books on a nearby shelf. “This bookshop is my break anyway. I don’t know what I’d do without it. Reaping is such boring, repetitive work.”

“… It seems sad.”

Taeyong’s voice was quiet, but Ten heard him anyway. He tilted his head to the side. “Sad?”

“Well, I mean, having to watch people die all the time.”

Ten shrugged. “I’m not human. You just get used to it after a while.”

“I see.”

“Sorry, I forget sometimes that you’re still human.”

“Only a little.” Taeyong’s smile felt wistful, even to him. “Anyway, I should get going. I’ve still got to see Johnny before I go get groceries.”

“Hey, Ten, are there any more copies of this book?”

Taeyong, surprised by the voice, turned to see a man about his age standing in the doorway leading to the back of the shop. He held a book in his hands so old the title had worn away, leaving only ragged, leather binding in its place. Taeyong felt a tug toward it and frowned.

_Magic._

Ten turned toward the man. “Oh, hey, Jaehyun. Forgot you were here. What book?”

Jaehyun held it up. He had curled hair dyed a soft pink, and his eyes crinkled up around the edges when he smiled, showing off the dimples in his cheeks. Everything about him seemed soft, angelic. If Taeyong looked hard enough, he could imagine a soft white light emanating from him, pure and gentle. He was so intent on staring at Jaehyun, he didn’t notice when the man felt his gaze and returned it.

“Hello?”

Taeyong started, face warming as he realized he’d been caught. “O-oh, uh, sorry.”

Jaehyun grinned. “Like what you see?”

Taeyong had no idea how to respond to that. Behind the counter, flipping through the book Jaehyun picked up, Ten snorted.

“Taeyong couldn’t flirt if his life depending on it,” the reaper said.

“Oh, well, sorry if I startled you. I’m Jaehyun.” He held out his hand.

“… Taeyong.” He stared at Jaehyun’s hand, wondering. The book he asked Ten about was Magical, but whether that meant Jaehyun was a witch or supernatural creature or not, Taeyong wasn’t sure. In the end, he took Jaehyun’s hand.

“Taeyong.” Jaehyun smiled. It lit up his face until he glowed. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You too.”

Jaehyun let go of his hand. Taeyong’s felt cold with its loss.

“Well, I’ll be off then, Ten.”

The shopkeeper nodded. “Sorry about that book. It’s … a first edition. Only one copy.”

“No worries.” Oh, so he wasn’t getting the book. That just brought up a whole different slew of questions for Taeyong. Maybe Ten had steered him away from it because of its Magical properties; maybe Jaehyun really had no idea what it was or what it could do, though Taeyong had no idea why he would have picked it up otherwise; or maybe it wasn’t the book he’d been looking for.

_Why do I care?_

“Taeyong?”

“Hm?” He looked up, flustered. Ten was staring at him. “Ah, sorry, I got … lost in my thoughts.”

“I could tell.”

Jaehyun was gone. Taeyong had no idea when he’d left or if he’d even said goodbye. Something in his chest felt weird, kind of floaty. It reminded him of the way he felt when he watched the sunrise over the valley, or the water of the stream nearby his house as it bubbled and laughed down the mountain, or the endless blue sky in midwinter.

“What is he?” Taeyong asked, staring at the shop’s front door.

“He?” Ten echoed.

“Jaehyun.”

“Oh, him? He’s just a human who moved here recently. No Magical capabilities that I’ve sensed.”

“But … that book …”

“This?” Ten held up the book. “Well, it’s a grimoire. Not sure why he picked it up. But I convinced him it was too expensive and one-of-a-kind, which, technically, it is. Things like this cost much more than money.”

Taeyong nodded. He knew Ten’s prices. “I need to go.”

“Are you sure you’re okay? You seem really spacey today.”

“I’m fine.” Taeyong felt like that was a bit too short, so he added, “I’ll see you later, Ten,” before he left.

For hours, he couldn’t stop thinking of fluffy pink hair and a smile that could rival every celestial being in the heavens.

The days passed. Taeyong tucked away the memory of Jaehyun as a chance encounter, a missed connection. The feeling in his chest wouldn’t go away, but he ignored it, unsure what to do about it or what it even was.

In the end, his Craft was more important anyway.

Nighttime was always his favorite time to practice his spellwork. He would meditate for an hour or so beforehand and then settle himself down at his altar. It was the only place he allowed himself to be a bit less structured, placing pillar candles and flower petals around the table at random. There were also charms he made himself, a small bell with a pentacle carved into it, his favorite wand, and his tarot deck—right in the center.

Many witches followed specific deities and pantheons, but all Taeyong knew was Magic and the way his mother spoke of it. To her, and to him, it was a living being, something so mystical they would never be able to understand it with their fallible, human minds. So his altar was to Magic and Magic alone, and as he lit his candles and readied himself, he felt something odd.

His deck was already cleansed, humming with energy. Taeyong put one hand a couple inches over it and frowned. The cards seemed … impatient. The questions Taeyong was originally going to ask disappeared, fading out as he realized this was something else. Something far more important.

He shuffled the deck, taking great care not to bend the cards too much, and fanned them out on the altar.

“What do you want to tell me?” he asked aloud, his voice soft.

The energy shifted. Taeyong followed it with his hand hovering over the rainbow of cards, waiting until he felt a pinprick— _there._ That card. Hands shaking, Taeyong picked it up and flipped it over.

_The Tower._

Taeyong knew the Tower well. It was the card that predicted his mother’s death, the card that predicted his eventual leaving to the mountain he now lived on. It was a card of sudden change, upheaval, and destruction. A card of inevitable fate. His mother used to call it the storm.

“ _And when you come out of the storm,_ ” she would say, “ _You’re not the same person you were going in. That’s what the storm is all about._ ”

Taeyong sat back, exhaled slowly. The Tower stared at him from its place on the altar. Just the imagery of it alone was terrifying—a stone tower on shaky foundation, struck by lightning, spitting fire. People fell to their deaths from its windows; Taeyong could imagine them screaming on the way down. His mouth felt dry, and that strange ache in his chest had started up again. It took him a moment to place the feeling as anxiety.

“I … don’t understand,” he murmured.

The cards still fanned out across the table trembled. Taeyong knew there was more. He lifted a hand, listless, and let it hover over the deck until he felt that same pinprick. The card he pulled was another of the major arcana—the one right after the Tower.

The Star.

A time of reprieve after chaos, a realization that the storm changed you the way it needed to. Taeyong felt all the breath leave him at once. This was a major change, a wrench in his life. Nothing would be the same once the events leading up to the Tower came to pass.

Most likely, events had already been set in motion.

The cards were silent now. Taeyong sensed they’d told him everything they needed to. He scooped them back up, wrapping them in a soft green cloth, and stood from his altar. His thoughts were so distracted, he forgot to blow out his candles.

Magic blew them out for him, after he went to bed.

Taeyong woke to the sound of a knock on his door.

His first thought was that it was Johnny. He’d forgotten to go visit him last time he was in town, which he felt bad about, but he just hadn’t had a chance to go down the mountain again.

Summer was busy, and most days he spent tending to his gardens, planting new fruits and vegetables, picking what needed to be picked, coaxing flowers from the dirt, walking barefoot through the dark soil. Most days he went to bed aching from the work, only to get up and do it again the next day. Going down the mountain in the winter could be difficult; he wanted to make sure he had his own stock of food just in case. Not to mention, herbs for his potions and spells.

“Coming!” he called as there was another, more insistent, knock. He threw on a shirt and pants, knowing he must have looked like a mess. A quick glance in the mirror told him that yes, he did. He had some imprints on his face from the sheets, and his dark hair was mussed and crumpled. He ran a hand to try and fix it a bit, gave up after a few moments of failing, and left his bedroom.

A glance outside the living room window showed little—a fog had descended, leaving the mountain encased in mist. He was surprised Johnny had been able to find his way; Taeyong’s cabin was hard enough to locate as it was without the added problem of inclement weather.

“Sorry!” he called, breathless, as he opened the door. Expecting Johnny.

It wasn’t Johnny.

Instead, a familiar man with rosy hair stood on the stoop. He looked worried, the smile Taeyong felt could cause a supernova gone now as he fiddled with the strap of the bag around his shoulders. He looked like a college professor with what he was wearing, a tweed coat over a button-up and black jeans; it was strangely endearing.

Taeyong didn’t know what to do with that thought.

“Oh, God, I’m so glad someone answered,” Jaehyun gasped, his breath short. “I got lost up here and— _oh_ , wait, I know you.”

Taeyong froze.

“Yeah, you were at Ten’s bookshop a couple weeks ago. Taeyong, right?” His smile came back, albeit a little unsure. “You live all the way up here?”

“Yes.” Taeyong didn’t know what else to say.

Jaehyun stood on the stoop, looking forlorn. Taeyong’s thoughts came back in a rush.

“Oh, oh, sorry, um … come in.” He stepped back, allowing Jaehyun entry. “The fog will most likely lift later in the morning. You’re welcome to stay until then.”

Jaehyun seemed surprised. “Thank you.”

He came in, taking off his shoes at the door, and followed Taeyong into the living room. That odd floaty feeling was back in Taeyong’s chest. It reminded him of his reading from the night before; he didn’t understand it.

Jaehyun cleared his throat. “I just moved to town, you know.”

“Ten told me.”

“Yes, well.” Jaehyun ran his fingers through his petal-pink hair. Taeyong had the strangest urge to do the same. “I’ve heard … what the people in town say about you.”

“Ah.”

“Are you, then?”

Taeyong blinked. “What?”

“Are you a witch?”

Normally, Taeyong would answer that question with a gentle smile. Kids asked it the most, coming to him for aid, sniffling on his doorstep. He’d bandage them up and make them hot chocolate, and they would ask that question on their way out the door. Sometimes he would say yes, that he was here to help, other times he would tell them he was whatever they needed him to be.

But when Jaehyun asked him that question, he panicked.

“I …”

Jaehyun glanced around the living room they stood in; Taeyong tried to keep the entryway and foyer of his cabin as simple as possible, secluding most of his Craft tools in the kitchen, his altar room, and the backyard. He didn’t want to scare any of the kids who came through, so aside from a few crystals and geodes sitting on shelves around the room, it looked mostly normal.

Taeyong had no idea why he was hesitating. Everyone in the town below already called him a witch, as did the local children who lost their way on the mountain. Why did it matter what one pink-haired boy with an angelic smile thought of him?

“I’m whatever you need me to be,” he said finally.

Jaehyun frowned. “That’s not really an answer.”

“Do with it what you will.”

“Why do you live all the way up here?”

Taeyong glanced at him. He seemed genuinely curious, as if he couldn’t imagine someone enjoying the peace and solitude of waking up on a quiet mountainside. “I like to be alone.” Something occurred to him then, a question on the tip of his tongue. “Why are _you_ up here?”

“I … got lost.”

“Lost?”

“Yes.” Jaehyun seemed confused. “I really don’t know why I came up here.”

“What?”

“I don’t know. This is going to sound crazy, probably.”

“Try me.”

“Well …” He chewed on his bottom lip. The weightlessness in Taeyong’s chest returned, only now it had metastasized, moving to encompass his gut as well until his stomach churned with restlessness. “I woke up this morning and went for a walk, like I always do. And I just got this … _urge_ , I guess, to go into the woods. I don’t know why, but I went deeper and deeper, following the mountain until the fog came, until I realized I had no idea where I was.” Jaehyun shrugged, shaking his head. “I told you it was going to sound crazy. What a coincidence I found your house up here, huh?”

“I don’t believe in coincidences,” Taeyong said before he could think about the implications. Jaehyun seemed a bit startled, so he averted his gaze, looking at the clock on the wall instead. “Would you like some coffee?”

“Oh, yes, please.”

Taeyong nodded, walking into the kitchen. He wasn’t sure if he wanted Jaehyun to follow him or not. Even though he didn’t consider himself a pure kitchen witch, it was still the place he worked most of his Magic, and the tools there were quite telling. Shelves full of potions and books and jars of herbs lined the walls, and his current grimoire was lying, open, on the counter by the stove. He also had a few wands, a homemade wooden spoon with a pentacle carved into its handle, and the variety of plants along the windowsills. The whole room smelled of incense and Magic.

“Whoa.”

Jaehyun stood at the threshold of the kitchen, his eyes wide, taking in everything. Taeyong tried to ignore his wandering gaze as he moved over to the coffeemaker and measured out the grounds. He needed to make breakfast; his stomach was already gurgling at him, demanding sustenance.

“This is …” Jaehyun seemed at a loss for words.

“My kitchen,” Taeyong finished.

The pink-haired man moved over to the closest shelf, running his fingers along the spines of books there. Most of them were cookbooks from Taeyong’s mom, plus some of his own, but there were a few herbiarys in there as well.

The percolator dinged. Taeyong poured out two cups, leaving his own black, and turned to ask Jaehyun if he’d like anything in it, only to pause. Jaehyun had pulled out, of all books on the shelf, his first grimoire. Taeyong remembered the day his mom brought the book home, telling him she saw it and knew it was his. Every lesson his mom taught him growing up was in there, plus a few more. The grimoire itself was falling apart, its worn leather creased and shedding, but Jaehyun handled it so carefully.

“What’s this?” he asked, tracing the pentacle design on the front with his finger. Taeyong had added the design himself, hot-gluing it to the cover with his mom’s help. He’d been eleven. “It’s beautiful. And it feels so … _warm_.”

Taeyong frowned. “You can sense Magic?”

“Magic? No, that’s—” Jaehyun cut himself off, flushing the color of his hair. “Sorry.”

“What?”

“No, that was rude.”

“You don’t believe in Magic.”

Jaehyun shrugged, sliding the grimoire back into its place on Taeyong’s shelf. “I never really considered it, honestly. I guess I’m open to the possibility.”

Taeyong handed him a cup of coffee. “I have sugar and milk.”

“I’ll take both.”

Once Jaehyun’s coffee was sweet enough for his liking, Taeyong announced he was going to make breakfast for them.

“You don’t have to do that,” Jaehyun said. His dimples were back. Taeyong felt like he was staring at them, so he turned away, toward the stove.

“I want to.”

“If you insist.”

For the most part, Jaehyun stayed silent while Taeyong cooked, but his presence was impossible to ignore. Taeyong could feel him, wandering around the kitchen, reading labels on jars and running his hand along the wood of his cabinets, his walls. Almost like he was committing it to memory.

“Are there different kinds of witches?”

“There are many kinds of witches.” Taeyong was a little more focused now. He was making omelets, sprinkling them were herbs and cheese, murmuring spells for happy days and good luck under his breath. “I don’t really consider myself … any of them, I suppose. I’m just a witch.”

“Where you raised like this?”

“Not here, no. But I was raised on Magic.”

“That must have been interesting.”

Jaehyun’s voice was closer. Taeyong was surprised to find the younger man right next to him, leaning against the counter and watching him as he cooked. “My mother taught me everything I know,” he continued, deciding to ignore Jaehyun’s proximity for the time being. “Without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

A strange sort of breathless warmth seemed to waft from Jaehyun, like the sun coming through the clouds. Outside, fog still hung low, making him feel as if they were closed off from the world. No one would be able to find them up here. For all Jaehyun knew, Taeyong could have been a psychopath, but he didn’t seem worried at all. In fact, he seemed comfortable, standing in the middle of a witch’s kitchen, drinking coffee like all was right in the world.

“You said you felt the urge to go into the forest,” Taeyong began. The omelets were done. He moved them to two plates, grabbing a couple of forks as well. “When you saw my cabin …”

“I saw the light, on your porch.”

“The light?”

Jaehyun nodded. “It looked like a star. I thought it was the sun rising, at first.”

Something in Taeyong’s chest tightened. “I … don’t have a porch light.”

“What? Yes, you do.”

“No. I can show you. I don’t have a porch light. I don’t get much electricity up here, and leaving a porch light on all night would be ridiculous.”

“But …” Jaehyun frowned. “Then what was that light?”

Taeyong wanted to wave it off, wanted to say it was just the sun rising in the east, a fluke. But he said himself he didn’t believe in coincidences, and his fingers were itching for his deck.

“I want to try something,” he said.

Jaehyun, again, seemed startled. Taeyong felt like he was good at catching the younger man off-guard. “Something?” he echoed.

“Have you ever had a tarot reading before?”

“Tarot? No. I had a friend who dabbled in it back in the city, but she never did any readings for me.”

Taeyong nodded. “Let me do one for you.”

For a moment, they stared at each other. Taeyong felt Magic humming around him and knew that this was it. Jaehyun went into the forest and found him for a reason.

“Okay,” Jaehyun said finally.

“Follow me.”

Taeyong took him to his altar room. It was originally supposed to be an office, right next to his bedroom, but he’d taken the door off and instead replaced it with a black curtain. Inside, a single window sat in the far corner, letting in little bits of dim light through the fog. His altar sat in the center of the room, dotted with pillar candles. Crystals and little offerings he made himself were arranged around it as well, and there was also a small cauldron, his favorite wand, and his spellwork grimoire.

Jaehyun came into the room but said nothing. Taeyong could _feel_ his nervous energy.

“If you don’t want a reading, I don’t have to give you one.”

“No!” Jaehyun said, a little too quickly. Taeyong recoiled a bit. “Sorry, I mean … I do want a reading, I’m just nervous, I guess.”

Magic shifted around Taeyong. He closed his eyes, taking it in. His deck was on the altar as well, front-and-center, beckoning him close. He sat down at the head of the table and motioned for Jaehyun to take the chair across from him.

“There’s no need to be nervous.” He took his deck; it was his oldest one, the Rider-Waite. Most people called it the beginner’s deck, but Taeyong rarely felt the need to use any of his others. His bond with this one was the strongest. The day his mom gave it to him was the day he felt Magic curl around him, whispering encouragement.

Clearing his mind, Taeyong lit the candles, inhaling and exhaling slowly. The flames flickered in the wake of his breath. Jaehyun stayed silent, staring at him across the altar as Taeyong shuffled the cards and then fanned them out in front of the younger man.

“Pick a card,” he said.

Jaehyun frowned. “Just … any card?”

“Whichever one you feel pulled to.”

“Okay.” He stared at the cards a moment, and then, to Taeyong’s surprise, closed his eyes. Silence reigned. With his eyes still shut, Jaehyun pointed at a card. Taeyong picked it up, flipping it over. His heart almost stopped.

“What? What is it?” Jaehyun asked.

Taeyong laid the card, face-up, on the altar. The scene depicted on it showed a skeletal figure on a black horse holding a flag, the bodies of his victims piled on the ground beneath his mount’s feet. _Death._ The thirteenth card in the deck.

Jaehyun went pale. “Death?” he managed, his voice trembling.

“Death is a good card to get.”

“How is death good?”

“It’s more death of self,” Taeyong said, his words coming out on autopilot. His mind was running at maximum capacity. “The end of a chapter and the beginning of a new one.” If the Tower was the storm, Death was the light at the end of the tunnel—an opening to a new section of life. “It’s also one of the major arcana.”

“Major arcana?”

“The trump cards of tarot, cards of inevitable, unavoidable fate. Minor arcana can change based on choices, but when you get major arcana, no matter what it is, it will come to pass.”

“Oh.” Jaehyun gazed down at the card, contemplating. Taeyong wanted to ask what he was thinking but didn’t know how to phrase it. “Is there more?”

Taeyong picked up the card and slid it back into the deck. Magic gathered like a storm cloud around him, making the air feel close and thin. Something dark and terrifying slithered down Taeyong’s spine. He shuffled the cards anyway.

“It seems Magic has something to tell you.”

Jaehyun looked up at him. “You talk about it like it’s a living being.”

“It is.” He fanned the cards out again. “Pick a card.”

Another moment of silence. Jaehyun didn’t close his eyes this time, barely even hesitated before he reached out and pointed at the card in the middle. Taeyong felt something in his chest catch, his fingertips trembling as he turned the card over.

_Oh._

Two people were in the scene of this card, a man in a woman. A tree stood behind both—one, a snake curled around it; the other, blooming vividly. In the clouds above, an angel spread its arms wide over the couple, as if blessing them. Taeyong swallowed thickly.

“The Lovers,” Jaehyun said, reading the text at the bottom of the card. “What does this card mean?”

“It’s, um …” Taeyong stammered, stopped, tried again. “It’s a card of new partnerships, relationships, commitment, and falling in love. It can also mean you have a choice to make. It’s one of the major arcana as well.”

“Relationships?” Jaehyun looked up at him.

Taeyong didn’t know how to process the expression on his face, wasn’t sure what to do with that feeling again making itself known. But when Jaehyun stood suddenly, looming over him, Taeyong felt like he needed to run.

Jaehyun must have noticed his unease, because he frowned. “Are you okay?”

“I … um …” He needed to look somewhere, _anywhere_ , else. His gaze went to the window, surprised to find the fog lifted. Magic trembled in the air, dancing like sparks across his knuckles. Taeyong just wanted to be alone. “You need to go.”

“… What?”

“The fog is gone.”

Jaehyun stared at him. “Did I do something wrong? I’m sorry, I—”

“I said you could stay until the fog lifted. It’s lifted.”

“Oh. Right. Of course.” Jaehyun shoved his hands in his pockets. He looked sad, kind of forlorn again, and Taeyong felt the odd hitch in his chest loosen. Suddenly, he didn’t want Jaehyun to leave. He wanted to stare at him over breakfast, introduce him to the Magic budding in the air, the Magic that seemed to be calling them together.

If Jaehyun had been a star, he would have outshined all the others.

“Well,” he began, not looking at the younger man, “I guess you should at least stay for breakfast since I already made it.”

Jaehyun’s energy shifted, a careful sort of excitement radiating off him in waves. It was a little overwhelming.

“I’d like that.”

Taeyong didn’t know where to put Jaehyun in his life.

Everything else was organized so neatly, placed in specific boxes and filed away for later use. Ten and Johnny were easy—friends, acquaintances. His ‘family’ box had been empty for a while; just the memory of his mom resided there. Outside of that, he had little save for Magic.

But Jaehyun was hard to label. That day he’d arrived on Taeyong’s doorstep, unsure and lost, had made an impression—one neither of them had brought up yet. Taeyong knew it was different, knew the Magic around him hummed with delight when Jaehyun showed up now, which he did more often, but he still had no idea what to do with that information. The Lovers card popped into his mind every time he saw the younger man’s shock of peachy hair, and he felt an odd lurch in his stomach when Jaehyun ended up on his doorstep again a few days later.

He began to wonder if the Lovers card wasn’t meant for just Jaehyun.

“Good morning!” Jaehyun chirped. He was smiling, as usual. Taeyong felt like that smile could melt even the coldest of hearts. “I brought you something.”

“Oh?” Taeyong stepped back, allowing Jaehyun to enter. He held a bag of something that smelled delicious—Taeyong caught scents of yeast and honey and felt his mouth water. “Honey bread?”

Jaehyun pouted. “How did you know?”

“I work with food a lot. You get used to singling out specific smells.” He took the paper bag from Jaehyun, turning toward the kitchen. “I can make us some French toast from this.”

“That sounds _amazing._ ”

Jaehyun had taken to meandering around Taeyong’s kitchen as he cooked, checking every corner, pouring over mason jars full of potions of all colors and consistencies, making occasional comments here and there. The smell of baking sweets filled the room, mingling with the Magic that hung, perpetually, around Taeyong like a mist. He was so absorbed in everything—in his cooking, in Jaehyun’s presence—he didn’t notice someone else walk into the kitchen until Jaehyun gave a little yelp.

“Jaehyun?”

Ten stood at the arch leading to the kitchen, surprised etched across his face. Taeyong felt strangely as if he’d been caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to. He wiped his hands on his apron, taking the last of the French toast off the griddle, and managed a strained smile.

“Hey, Ten.”

“Hey.” The reaper glanced at Jaehyun, questioning. “I didn’t know you two were friends.”

Jaehyun shrugged, his eyes wide. “It just sort of, um, happened. But … what’s that?”

“What?”

“That _weapon_ on your back?”

Ten’s dark eyes flashed. Taeyong felt his breath catch, as it seemed to do so often when Jaehyun was around. Ten had his scythe hanging from his shoulder—nothing unusual since he usually came and saw Taeyong during a lull in work—but humans weren’t supposed to be able to see it. No one ever had.

“You can see my scythe?”

“Scythe?” Jaehyun echoed, recoiling a bit when Ten suddenly came close, eyes narrowed, expression guarded. They stared at each other for a few moments before Ten spoke again.

“You have the Sight.”

“The … what?”

Ten straightened, turning on Taeyong. “He didn’t have it before. Where did he get it from?”

“Not from me.”

“You didn’t gift it to him?”

“No.” Taeyong had been thinking about it, though. He wasn’t sure how Ten would react to that; usually, witches only gifted the Sight to those who needed it, or to those who were intrinsic in their lives. Taeyong hadn’t considered either of those options too much, but he knew what gifting the Sight to someone would mean.

Still, he hadn’t, so how had Jaehyun acquired it?

_Magic has its own rules, Taeyong. What we know is just a small part of the picture._

Ten stared at Jaehyun a moment longer, frowning, before he straightened up and crossed his arms over his chest. “What’s going on here?” he asked, gesturing between them.

The Lovers card swam to the forefront of Taeyong’s mind. He shoved it back down. There was no way to explain whatever was going on between him and Jaehyun; he wasn’t sure words could properly describe the angel standing in his kitchen anyway. If he tried, there would never be enough, and Taeyong wasn’t one for rambling. So instead he just said, “I don’t know.”

Ten scoffed. He was still staring at Jaehyun. The younger man stared back, eyes wide, occasionally glancing at the scythe still visible around Ten’s shoulders. It was a terrifying thing—its handle solid black, the blade made of silver and glinting in the sunlight in a way that seemed wicked.

“You might want to figure it out.”

“… Yeah.”

“Anyway, I just stopped by for a quick chat, and to ask if you’ve seen Johnny around.”

Guilt made Taeyong flush. “I haven’t seen him, no. I haven’t been back into town since I last went and saw you at your shop. Is everything okay?”

“I just haven’t seen him in a couple days. You know how he can be.”

“True.” Johnny liked to disappear sometimes, but he always came back. Taeyong wasn’t worried. “Let me know when you see him again and I’ll come visit.”

“It’s a deal.” Ten grinned, back to his usual self. He grabbed the scythe on his back. The _swish_ of it cutting through the air made Jaehyun cringe. “Well, I have to get back to work. I’ll see you later, Taeyong. Later, Jaehyun.”

When he was gone, Jaehyun turned to him.

“I thought Ten was a bookseller.”

“In his spare time.”

“Why did he have a _scythe_?”

“He’s a reaper.” Taeyong made him and Jaehyun a plate of French toast, leaving butter and syrup on the table for easier access. “He collects the souls of the dead and sends them on to the next life.”

“Oh, of course.” Jaehyun frowned into his food. He looked like he wanted to say something else. Taeyong didn’t prod, knowing he’d say it eventually. “Taeyong, what did he mean before? That I had the Sight?”

“It means you can see Magical creatures and influences now. You’ll have to watch out for the fae; they’re most likely to take advantage of a human with the Sight.”

“The fae? No, wait, how do I have this Sight? I didn’t have it before?”

“I … don’t know.”

Jaehyun’s shoulders were tense. “Ten asked if you gave it to me.”

“I didn’t. I don’t know how you got it, Jaehyun.”

“Do you have any way to find out how or why?”

“No. Magic … it has rules, but there is so much we don’t know.” He hesitated. “Maybe you had a wish you couldn’t voice and Magic granted it, for a price. That’s all I can think.”

“A wish?” Jaehyun echoed. And then, “A price? What price?”

“I don’t know. I’m just speculating.” He reached forward, leaning across the table. Jaehyun went still. “Let me try something.”

“Okay.” Unsure.

Taeyong pressed his hand over Jaehyun’s eyes, a little confused when the younger man’s breathing picked up. Did he think Taeyong was going to hurt him? He pulled his hand away, frowning. Jaehyun’s eyes were wide and a little afraid.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Taeyong said. “Why are you scared?”

Jaehyun stared at him, the tense line of his shoulders relaxing a bit. “I—I know. Sorry. I just … don’t really like not being able to see.”

“Oh.” Taeyong didn’t know what to say in response. “I’m sorry, I was just seeing if I could maybe sense any remnants of whoever, or whatever, gave you the Sight.”

“Anything?”

“No, not really.”

“Hm.”

Magic prickled along the back of Taeyong’s neck, tickling his hairline; he waved it off. He and Jaehyun ate in silence for a few moments, Taeyong staring out the window most of the time. He needed to work on some more potions today. He was running low on a few concoctions, and if he wanted to—

“Taeyong.”

Pulled from his thoughts, Taeyong glanced at Jaehyun. The younger man was humming with energy; Taeyong was surprised it alone hadn’t jolted him back to reality. “About that other thing Ten said. About … us.”

Taeyong pressed his lips into a thin line.

“I guess now is as good a time as ever to ask what this is. I … hadn’t really thought about it too much, but I like seeing you.” He fiddled with his fingers, not quite looking at Taeyong. “I like being around you. I feel so at peace here, even though a few things still catch me off-guard sometimes, and I never really want to leave.”

“But?”

“There is no ‘but.’” Jaehyun finally looked at him. “Why would there be?”

“There always is.”

“Not this time.”

Taeyong didn’t know what to do about the look in Jaehyun’s eyes—affectionate and warm, it made him feel strange all over again. It wasn’t something he could label or put in a box; it was a well of feeling, deep and dark, that was impossible for him to process. He wanted to ignore it as he had been, but now Jaehyun sat in front of him, his soft brown eyes searching, and Taeyong wanted …

He _wanted_.

“I have been alone for a long time,” he said after a few moments of silence. “It’s just me and my Magic and the occasional wayward soul passing through. Ten and Johnny are constant, but they’re like me. They stick around. No one … no one else ever does.”

“I can,” Jaehyun murmured. His voice was low, unsure. “I mean, if you want me to.”

Taeyong hated how indecisive he was. Magic nudged him, as if to say _go ahead_ , but he waved it off, trying to ignore how his heart pounded in his chest. “You can stay. Of course you can stay.” That was enough, that was safe. It may not have been everything he wanted to say, but it seemed to satiate Jaehyun for the time being. He sat back in his chair with a small smile.

“Then I’ll stay.”

Jaehyun stayed the rest of the day.

“You may not have any Magical abilities,” Taeyong said. “Humans can get the Sight without having Magic.” He was still a bit frustrated that he didn’t know how Jaehyun suddenly acquired it, of course, but Jaehyun seemed unbothered. He was taking it all in stride, just as he had everything else about Taeyong—like it was normal.

“How do you get Magic?” Jaehyun wondered.

“Most people are born with it, though it is possible to develop it without the lineage. You might be a late bloomer.”

“Is there a way we can check?”

Taeyong hesitated. There were ways, of course, but he wasn’t sure Jaehyun was ready for that just yet. “For now, let’s just focus on the Sight. Testing for Magic is a process.”

Jaehyun nodded, gaze focused intently on Taeyong. He always listened so well. Taeyong wasn’t used to being under such scrutiny, but somehow, he didn’t mind. Jaehyun looked so earnest and ready to learn. Taeyong felt a strange sort of warmth rise in him.

“Okay, so … what is the Sight, again?”

“It means you can see supernatural and Magical creatures and see Magic’s influences now. You might be able to See people’s auras too, but only when it comes to Magical beings. Try focusing on me and see if you notice anything.”

Jaehyun nodded, eyes never leaving Taeyong’s face. After a few moments, he blinked, leaning back a bit. “There’s … something around your head. Like a blur? A film, maybe? It’s transparent but warping the air around it.”

“That’s Magic.”

“It follows you?”

“Perpetually.”

“Is it like that for all witches?”

“Yes and no. It depends on their proficiency and how often they use Magic. A dabbler would only have it around them when they’re practicing; someone who does it every day has it around them always.”

“Like you?”

Taeyong smiled a little. “Like me.”

“What else?” Jaehyun’s eyes twinkled with excitement.

“Well, you can probably see the fae now.”

“The fae?”

“Yes. They’re also called the fair folk. Western influences warped their legends into the fairies and sprites we know from Disney movies now, but in reality, the fae are much different. They are mischievous and sneaky, and some of them, the Unseelie, can be downright evil. Stay away from mushroom rings and don’t follow will-o-wisps into the forest.”

“You said a lot of things I don’t understand.”

  
“Sorry.” Taeyong put a finger to his chin. “The basic idea is that the fae are the oldest race; they come from a land called Tír na nÓg and are direct descendants of their pantheon, the Tuatha Dé Danann. Most fae stay in their courts in Tír na nÓg, but sometimes they’ll come to the human realm to trick us or steal our children and replace them with shapeshifters.”

Jaehyun started. “Steal our children?”

“It doesn’t happen much anymore, but yes. Unseelie are really the ones you have to watch out for. Oh, and stay away from the High Fae. They look like humans, but they’re some of the most powerful of the fae.”

“Are there any around here?”

“I get some lesser fae wandering my gardens sometimes. I usually leave a bowl of milk or heavy cream out as an offering. I also had a boggart once I had to deal with, but I was able to placate it. Once boggarts are happy, they become brownies and can protect homes.”

The pink-haired man laughed a little. “Ah, there’s so much I don’t know.”

“You’ll get there. Remember, I’ve had my entire life to learn this stuff.”

“True.” Jaehyun squinted at him. “I’ve been meaning to ask, but I wasn’t sure if it would come off as rude or not.”

“Ask what?”

“Well …” He trailed off. “You’re a witch.”  


“Yes.”

“Are you human?”

“Somewhat. But I’ve been practicing Magic for so long, and it starts to seep into your bones. Most humans with Magical abilities end up aging slower than non-Magical humans.”

“Ah, so … then … I mean … how old are you?”

A loaded question. Taeyong had honestly stopped counting his birthdays some years back, but Ten still remembered the date and would bring him presents. Johnny usually stopped by too. Taeyong couldn’t remember the last time someone asked him how old he was, though. To him and his friends, age didn’t matter much. Ten would never die, and Johnny wouldn’t either as long as he kept himself out of trouble. Taeyong would eventually.

Eventually.

“Taeyong?”

“Sorry, I’m … trying to remember.”

Jaehyun paled a little. “You don’t remember how old you are?”

“After a while, you just stop counting.” He tilted his head to the side, mentally ticking off decades in his mind. “I don’t have the exact number, but it’s probably somewhere around seventy?”

“ _Seventy?_ ”

Taeyong’s heart gave a painful squeeze. It was entirely possible that Jaehyun would throw in the towel and leave right then. After all, Taeyong had just told him he was much older than he looked, and he worried he was overwhelming the younger man. He stared down at his hands, watching them tremble.

“That’s … that’s amazing.”

“Amazing?” Taeyong’s gaze snapped up to Jaehyun’s.

“Well, yeah. You’ve seen so much and lived so long and …” he trailed off, the tips of his ears reddening. “And you’re still so beautiful.”

Taeyong ducked his head, embarrassed, but more to hide the smile on his face than anything.

Ten stopped by a few more times throughout the week. Most of the time, Jaehyun was there. Ten would shoot Taeyong pointed looks when Jaehyun wasn’t looking, but Taeyong wasn’t sure what he wanted in reply. Most of the time he just shrugged.

_You might want to figure it out._

Jaehyun soon became a regular presence at Taeyong’s cabin. He worked as a barista at a local café in town, and whenever he was off work, he’d come over. Taeyong would make him food, and they would talk. Sometimes, he asked about Taeyong’s Craft; other times, he told Taeyong about himself. Taeyong preferred those talks. He liked hearing about Jaehyun, about his likes and dislikes, about how he took his coffee in the mornings, and about the city which he seemed to miss.

“Why did you move here if you love the city so much?” Taeyong asked, pouring them both another cup of coffee.

Jaehyun didn’t answer right away. Taeyong gave him time, watching as something unidentifiable flashed across the younger man’s face. His pink hair was straightened today, hanging in his eyes. Taeyong kept meaning to ask if there was a specific reason he kept it that color, but he got so distracted when Jaehyun was around. Or when he wasn’t.

Jaehyun was distracting in general.

“A lot of things happened before I moved here,” he said finally. His dimples were gone, the smile faded. Taeyong felt chilled in their absence. “It’s … a long story.”

Taeyong crossed one leg over the other. “I have time.”

Jaehyun’s answering smile was a little watery. Taeyong remembered the first card he pulled, back when things were so different. _Death._ Change, the beginning of a new chapter in life. He wondered if perhaps that had been his past, if the impetus for him leaving the city and moving out here had been inevitable. He wondered if that made the Lovers Jaehyun’s future.

If it made it _their_ future.

The quiet voice in the back of his head said it hoped so.

“Everything just kind of … happened at once,” Jaehyun continued, voice small. “I was working a pretty high-end job, journalism, you know. I headed most of the stories and lived in an apartment in the middle of the city with my partner. We were together for four years.”

Taeyong didn’t say anything. Jaehyun was staring at the tabletop, his brow furrowed. He looked like he was trying to find the right words.

“We’d known each other for years, since college. We’d been together for so long I couldn’t imagine being without him. It was just natural. Then one day I came home early from work, wanting to surprise him with a nice dinner, but someone else was there.”

He choked on the words. Taeyong felt Magic gather around him, trembling.

“They were fucking on the couch, _our_ couch, the one we bought from Ikea before we moved in together, and I … I just _ran_ , Taeyong. I turned and I ran, even when he tried to come after me. I stayed at a friend’s house that night, and together we went the next day to pack up my things. I even got a U-Haul.” He laughed a little, the sound strained. “He tried to apologize, but I wouldn’t hear it. Years of trust, shattered. The last thing I said to him was ‘I hate you.’ He stopped trying to apologize after that.”

Taeyong could tell there was more. He felt like he should say something. “And then?”

Silence. Jaehyun’s head was bowed. It took Taeyong a moment to realize he was crying, softly, his shoulders shaking a little. Tears dripped down his chin. A terrible feeling settled in Taeyong’s gut.

“He—he came after me.”

“… Came after you?”

“Yes. A couple nights later.” Jaehyun’s voice was steady even though Taeyong could still see the tears on his cheeks. “I was still staying with my friend while I tried to get housing worked out. She was so kind to let me crash on her couch. But a few nights later, my ex came to her apartment to try and convince me to get back together with him. When I said no, he …” Jaehyun cleared his throat, voice a little steadier. “He hit me.”

Taeyong clenched at the table, fingers digging into the wood. A curse formed in his head. He didn’t voice it, wouldn’t even know where to send it. Curses required names.

“I tried to run, but he followed me into the kitchen and slammed me against the wall. I—I thought I was going to _die_.” He raised his head, eyes brimming with unshed tears. “He had his hand around my throat, one over my eyes so I couldn’t see or fight back, and he kept saying that I needed him, that no one else would ever love me the way he had. I—I’d never seen him like that. He’d never hit me or even raised his voice at me before; I don’t know what happened.” He shook his head. “My friend got home seconds later, just in time. I don’t know what would have happened if she hadn’t. He probably would have killed me.”

“Jaehyun …”

“She called the cops after smashing a vase over his head. I got a restraining order and he got a few years in prison. That was … a couple years ago.”

Everything seemed to have gone still. Taeyong felt like the universe was holding its breath. Magic swirled around Jaehyun’s head, as if trying to comfort him. Taeyong wondered if he could see it. Jaehyun seemed a bit calmer now, so maybe he had.

“He got let out of prison early on good behavior.” Jaehyun’s voice was small. Taeyong hadn’t expected him to say any more, but he stayed silent, letting him speak. “When I heard, I knew I couldn’t stay there. I knew he would come after me again. So I got someone to take over my apartment lease, I quit my job, and I came here. I guess I’ve just been running since then. The only ones who know where I am are my parents.”

Taeyong didn’t know what to do. Magic whispered through the air, soft and comforting. Jaehyun was breathing easier, but his cheeks were still wet with tears. Taeyong wanted to wipe them away and hold the younger man close, but he didn’t know how to do that. He wasn’t sure if that was even something Jaehyun wanted.

_Fuck it._

Taeyong stood.

Jaehyun looked up, seeming surprised, squeaking a little when Taeyong rounded the table and gathered him up in a hug.

Neither said anything. Taeyong could feel his face burning, but he didn’t let go. Jaehyun smelled good and he was sad and Taeyong wanted nothing more than to help him, to help him as he’d helped so many others. He murmured as soft spell in his mind, a quick chant of good fortune, knowing it wouldn’t be enough but that it was all he could do right then.

_May you always walk in sunshine. May you never want for more._

After a moment, Jaehyun returned the hug, burying his face in the crook of Taeyong’s neck. They stood like that for a few moments, bathed in the soft midday light coming through the kitchen windows. Taeyong never wanted the moment to end.

A knock on the front door made them both pull apart. Jaehyun’s face was the color of his hair; Taeyong thought he probably looked the same if the heat he could still feel in his cheeks was any indication. He ran a hand through his hair, sighing, and moved to open the front door. Jaehyun sat back down at the table and stared after him.

Taeyong was not expecting Johnny.

“Hey, Yong,” the taller man said. He towered over Taeyong, as always—all long, lean legs and lanky arms. His black hair flopped messily over his face, and his eyes swam with darkness, a hint of red breaking through if Taeyong looked too hard. “Sorry to drop by unannounced.”

“It’s not a problem.” Taeyong opened the door. “Come in.”

“Thanks.”

“Did you need something?”

Johnny closed the door behind him. “Well, first, I wanted to check up on you since I hadn’t seen you in a little while.”

“Ah, yeah.” Taeyong rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sorry. I didn’t get a chance to visit you last time I was in town, and that was a little while ago.”

“No worries, just making sure you’re still alive up here.” Johnny ruffled his hair, fond. It made the tension in Taeyong’s shoulders dissipate. He’d been afraid Johnny would be mad about his radio silence, or at least frustrated, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

“So, Ten told me you’re seeing someone?”

Taeyong froze. “Um … no, I’m … I mean, we’re just …”

Johnny laughed. “Don’t hurt yourself.”

“We’re just talking.”

“Mmhmm.” Johnny perked up then, sniffing the air. “Oh, is he here? I can smell a human.”

“Johnny—”

“Can I say hi?”

“Are you okay to?”

Johnny’s eyes were dark, specks of red visible. Taeyong had never worried about him being around humans before, but Jaehyun was different. Jaehyun was special. And if Johnny was hungry, he wasn’t sure it was a good idea for them to be around each other.

Jaehyun smelled good. Taeyong knew Johnny would notice, too.

“I’m fine.” The vampire bared his teeth. “Just ate, in fact.”

That explained the bits of red in his eyes. “He’s in the kitchen.”

“Cool.” Johnny lumbered away, ducking under the archway to the kitchen. Taeyong followed, unsure how Jaehyun would react. He would probably know right away that Johnny wasn’t human; it was easy enough to tell from his aura. But he wondered if Jaehyun would know what, exactly, the taller man was.

“Jaehyun,” he said, walking in behind Johnny, “This is my friend, Johnny.”

Jaehyun still sat at the table, leaning against it with one elbow. His face was dry and clear, his eyes bright, and Taeyong again felt that warmth fill his chest. He worried he’d pop if it grew anymore, making him implode, crumbling in and in until the emotion burst out in a supernova. He put a hand to his chest to make sure he was still breathing. _Yes. You’re fine._

“Hi, Johnny,” Jaehyun said. His eyes crinkled around the edges as he held out a hand. Johnny took it, grinning, flashing his fangs.

“Oh, he has the Sight, huh?” the vampire asked.

Jaehyun blinked. “How can you tell?”

“There’s Magic around you. But you’re fully human?” He glanced at Taeyong, letting go of Jaehyun’s hand. “How did he get the Sight?”

“That’s what I’d like to know.”

Johnny shrugged. “Sometimes there are things we don’t need to understand.”

“Stop trying to sound wise.”

“Hey, I can be wise!”

Jaehyun chuckled, lifting a hand to hide his smile. Taeyong felt so _full._

“Anyway,” Johnny said, “Aside from checking up on you and your boyfriend, I also wanted to see if I could get some more of my potion. I’m almost out.”

Taeyong nodded, deciding to ignore the boyfriend comment for the moment. Jaehyun’s ears were red again. “I made another batch yesterday. I’ll get it for you.”

“You’re the best.”

When Taeyong came back from his cupboard, holding a paper bag full of mason jars, it was to find Johnny and Jaehyun chatting amicably. He paused, not wanting to interrupt them. They seemed to be getting along well.

Taeyong was glad his friends liked Jaehyun. So, so glad.

“Ah, there we are,” Johnny said, noticing him. “Thank God.”

“This should last you a few months.” Taeyong set the bag down, watching as Johnny inspected them closely before nodding.

“Thanks, Yong.” He stuffed a hand in his pocket, rummaging for a bit before he pulled out a small bag. “Here, as promised.”

_Perfect._ The bag hummed with energy, clinking a bit when Taeyong took it from Johnny’s hands. “Canines, right?”

“Of course. They’re fresh, too.”

“Canines?” Jaehyun echoed, eyeing the bag in Taeyong’s hands. “Like … teeth?”

“Vampire teeth,” Johnny corrected. “Taeyong uses them for wishes.”

“Wishes?”

“Teeth are powerful,” Taeyong said, setting the bag of teeth on the kitchen counter. “Especially those belonging to supernatural creatures.”

“How do you get them?”

Johnny grinned. “Pull ‘em out, just like with humans. Unlike humans, though, ours grow back pretty quickly. Those are mostly mine, plus a few I harvested.”

For a moment, Jaehyun gaped at him. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, struggling, before finally saying, “Harvested?”

“From dead vampires.”

“Oh, of course.” Still, Jaehyun looked a little relived. How strange. Taeyong didn’t know what to make of him, honestly. He never reacted the way Taeyong thought he would.

“Anyway.” Johnny stood, stretching his arms so far over his head his fingertips brushed the ceiling. “I should get going. Don’t want to intrude for too long.” He winked at Taeyong who grimaced, ignoring the blush staining Jaehyun’s cheeks again.

“Bye, Johnny.”

Once the vampire was gone, Jaehyun turned to Taeyong. “I thought vampires couldn’t be out during the day.”

“The lore is a little different than that. It’s more like … vampires shouldn’t stay out in the sun for longer than an hour or so at a time. Johnny usually drops by after sunset, though.” He glanced at the front door. “I wonder why he came in so early today.”

Jaehyun’s face was still a little red. He sat at the table, eyes on the hardwood, fingers tapping at the grain. Taeyong could see the question in his eyes, knew instinctively what it would be about. _Boyfriend?_ That’s what Johnny said, and Taeyong hoped Jaehyun wouldn’t ask. He didn’t think he was ready for that.

He wasn’t sure if he ever would be.

“Thank you,” Jaehyun said finally.

Taeyong blinked. “For what?”

“For … listening. And for not freaking out.”

“Why would I freak out?”

“I don’t know,” he mumbled, ducking his head. Again, Taeyong got the urge to pull him close, to shield him from any harm. He only hoped the spell he whispered over him would be enough.

For now.

“A storm’s coming.”

Ten’s eyes were far-off. Taeyong didn’t like the look as he set his order down by the register. “A storm?”

“Yes.” Ten looked at him. “It’ll hit tomorrow; supposed to be a bad one. Maybe you should stay down here until it passes.”

Taeyong shook his head. “I’ll be fine on the mountain. It’s seen worse storms.”

“How do you know this one isn’t one of the worse ones?”

“Is it?”

Ten frowned. “I’m not sure. I just know it’s going to be bad.”

The memory of the Tower card niggled at the back of Taeyong’s mind. _The storm,_ his mother called it. Perhaps it meant a literal storm this time.

Perhaps the universe was trying to tell him something.

“Is this everything?” Ten asked, glancing over the books Taeyong set down. Most of them were things related to his Craft, but there were a few novels stuffed in there too. The reaper smiled, picking out one of the thrillers in the stack. “Oh, hey, I love this book!”

“Yeah, uh …” Taeyong looked down at his shoes. “Jaehyun recommended it to me.”

“I see.”

Thankfully, Ten said nothing more, allowing Taeyong to pay and gather his books in peace. None of the tomes he bought today required an evaluation with Ten’s special prices, which he was glad for. He didn’t feel like being Ten’s runner; he just wanted to get his books and go home.

His backpack now sufficiently heavy, Taeyong walked down the streets of the town, heading home. It was a gentle, sunny day, just a few puffy cumulus clouds hanging in the blue overhead. Taeyong looked up, shielding his eyes from the sun as he let himself enjoy the warmth. He loved summer, even if Litha wasn’t his favorite of the Sabbats, even if it could be loud, even if it was a lot of hard work—he loved summer.

“Taeyong!”

He paused, turning, surprised to see Jaehyun approaching him on the sidewalk. The younger man’s hair was mussed, and there was a streak of what looked like dirt on his forehead, but he was grinning so brightly. Taeyong felt like he couldn’t look away from his petal-pink lips or the dimples on his cheeks.

“Hey, Jaehyun.”

“What are you doing in town?”

Oh, he was wearing an apron. Now that Taeyong was paying attention, he realized the café where Jaehyun worked was just a couple feet away from them; Jaehyun must have seen him pass by. That also explained the smudge on his forehead. Coffee, most likely. As Taeyong looked around, though, he also noticed a few people were glancing at them. He decided to ignore the curious stares for now.

“I was visiting Ten.” Taeyong patted his overfull backpack. “Got some books.”

“Anything interesting?”

“I picked up a few you recommended, yes.”

“Oh, cool.” Jaehyun’s very existence was blinding, but his smile made it so much more noticeable. “Hey, I get off around four tonight. Is it okay if I come by later?”

“Sure.” Taeyong’s shoulders relaxed a bit even though he could still feel eyes on them.

“Awesome. I’ll bring stuff for dinner.” He turned, the sunlight glinting off his rosy hair, and went back into the café. Taeyong just stood there for a moment, shell-shocked, feeling as if something had been thrown off balance but not knowing what.

With a shrug, Taeyong headed back up the mountain.

Ten was right about the storm.

By the time he got back, the sky was dark with storm clouds. They broke a little after four, coating the mountain in a torrential downpour complete with fog, winds that rattled the shutters on his windows, and thunder that shook the cabin down to its foundation. Taeyong sat by the window, suddenly worried.

_I hope Jaehyun is okay._

The younger man was supposed to come up the mountain to see him after he got off work, but Taeyong figured he would just stay home with the storm in full-swing. This seemed to be true, because five o’ clock rolled around and Jaehyun still wasn’t there. Taeyong couldn’t help feeling disappointed even though he knew the younger man had a reason for not showing.

Dejected, Taeyong decided to start making dinner.

He was halfway through making a side salad to go with the soup currently bubbling on the stovetop when he froze. Magic had gathered around him, urgent. It had something to tell him. He knew it. Taeyong set down the salad, turned off the stovetop with a wave, and headed to his altar.

He needed to consult his deck.

The Rider-Waite sat on his altar, where it always was, wrapped in tarot cloth, radiating with something that felt electric. It sizzled through the air, taking Taeyong’s breath away. He barely got a chance to sit down before the cards trembled.

“What’s wrong?” he gasped.

Magic nudged him. _Pull the top card._

Taeyong did so without even shuffling, confused when the Star popped up. His mind immediately went to Jaehyun. “Is it … something about Jaehyun?”

Another surge of energy. Another nudge from the Magic surrounding him.

_Pull the next card._

Taeyong stared, even more confused and a little terrified now. The next card on top was the Tower, again. He had no idea what this meant. What any of this meant.

_You know._

Taeyong pulled the next card.

The Sun. The brightest card in the deck, portending good fortune, positivity, warmth, and success. Taeyong laid the card down next to the other two, trying to make some sense of them. There had to be a pattern. Magic whispered in his ear, murmuring soft words. Taeyong was too focused to hear them until one caught his attention.

_Jaehyun._

“What?” He straightened in his chair. Magic didn’t respond. “What about Jaehyun?”

Silence.

Taeyong looked back down at the cards. The Tower was so familiar to him, destructive change, inevitable suffering. He ran his fingertips across it. _The storm._ Outside, lighting struck and thunder crashed. Taeyong ignored it.

The Star seemed to be Jaehyun’s life card, for it was everything he was—purpose, renewal, a breath of fresh air. Everything he was to Taeyong was outlined in that card.

And the Sun …

Taeyong stood, too fast. His chair clattered backwards onto the floor. Taeyong’s breath had picked up now. He knew what this meant. He _knew_.

Jaehyun was caught in the storm.

Taeyong didn’t even stop to let himself think. The clock on the far well read a little after six as he grabbed a raincoat from his bedroom, laced up his hiking boots, and plunged outside. The temperature had dropped at least twenty degrees, making him shiver when the wind blew and cut through his layers.

Jaehyun must have tried to come up and meet Taeyong despite the storm. He probably got lost again when the clouds rolled in and the fog crept up the mountain, unable to find whatever led him to Taeyong’s cabin the first time. With that thought in mind, Taeyong murmured a quick spell. He usually didn’t do flashy spellwork, but times were desperate, and as a glowing orb of white light materialized over his head, he knew what he had to do.

He left his front yard, pushing into the thick mess of trees enveloping the majority of the mountain, sloshing through deep puddles and feeling the bite of the wind whipping across his face with every step. It was tough going; even with the light above his head, it was hard to see due to the sheets of rain obscuring his vision. Taeyong pushed on anyway.

In reality, he had no idea where he was going. He had no idea where to even look. But Magic urged him onward, leading him west, and Taeyong trusted it. He always had.

He brushed a few branches out of his way, wiping water off his face as he tried to catch his breath, and glanced around. He was standing in a small clearing; the rain had let up a little bit, as had the thunder and lightning. Taeyong was glad for that. He needed to find Jaehyun, soon. Wrapping his arms around himself, he skirted a small, bubbling stream muddy with the rainfall and continued to go in the direction Magic pushed him.

Then his toe caught on something solid and he went down with a yelp.

Now sufficiently muddy and wet, Taeyong pushed himself up on his elbows, rolling over to see what he’d tripped over.

A body.

It was wrapped in what looked like a blanket, but rosy hair was still visible peeking out from the top. Taeyong felt his heart clench.

“Jaehyun!”

The body shuddered, stirring, and Jaehyun’s head poked out the top of the blanket. His eyes were bleary and he was covered in dirt and soaked to the bone, but he was _alive._ He was alive, and Taeyong felt all the fear and desperation leech out of him in place of overwhelming relief. He scrambled closer, grabbing Jaehyun and pulling him to his chest.

“T-Taeyong?” the younger man gasped, teeth chattering. “H-how did you—?”

“Ssh, shh, no talking. You need to keep your strength.” He felt Jaehyun’s forehead, grimacing at how hot he felt. “You’ve got a fever. How long have you been out here?”

“A-a couple hours, I think.”

_Jesus._ “Can you stand?”

“Wh … what’s above your head?” Jaehyun mumbled. “Is that a star?”

“We’ll talk later. I need to get you someplace warm. Can you stand?”

Jaehyun nodded, groaning as Taeyong helped him to his feet. He was able to walk, albeit slowly, shakily. Taeyong supported him throughout it all. Jaehyun was a bit taller than him, and heavier, but he didn’t care. He had Magic on his side, and finding Jaehyun amidst the storm felt like something he was destined to do.

By the time they made it back to Taeyong’s cabin, they were both shivering from the chill and the rain. Taeyong’s spell still floated above his head; Jaehyun glanced at it a few times but said nothing, too focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

“Here we are,” Taeyong said, relieved as he pushed open his front door and supported Jaehyun inside. He took Jaehyun back to his bedroom, ignoring his protests as he deposited the younger man on his bed and set about stripping off his wet clothes. Once Jaehyun was down to his underwear, his face sufficiently red, Taeyong wrapped him in a warm towel and then bid him to get under the covers.

“You need to get your body temperature back up and break that fever,” he said, pulling the comforter up around Jaehyun’s shoulders. “I had some soup cooking. I’ll bring you some once it’s ready.” He turned to go.

Jaehyun grabbed his wrist. “Taeyong, I … I don’t understand. How did you find me?” He glanced at the light over Taeyong’s head. “And what is _that_?”

“A simple light spell,” Taeyong said.

“That’s how you found me?”

“No, I … I mean, Magic. It led me to you.”

Jaehyun looked confused. Taeyong couldn’t blame him.

“Get some rest. I’ll bring you some soup.”

“But—”

Taeyong held up a hand. “No buts. We can talk in the morning.”

This seemed to placate Jaehyun enough that he relaxed, nodding his acquiescence and snuggling deeper into the covers. Taeyong smiled as he left the bedroom.

The kitchen was the same as he’d left it, the salad uncovered on the counter, the soup waiting for him on the stovetop. So much had happened so fast. It was only seven o’clock, an hour since he left to find Jaehyun. Taeyong heated up the soup and ladled some in a bowl to take to Jaehyun, but when he got back to his room, Jaehyun was fast asleep.

Despite the feverish flush on his cheeks, he looked so peaceful, his rose-colored hair fanned out across the pillow, his breaths deep and even. Taeyong hesitated in the doorway before he came in and set the bowl down on the nightstand. He could always heat it up when Jaehyun woke. For the moment, the younger man needed his rest.

Taeyong paused before he left again, another strange urge overcoming him. But whereas before he would have ignored such things, now he no longer felt any need to. Now, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Jaehyun’s forehead, feeling his chest flood with warmth.

Now, he understood.

“ _And when you come out of the storm, you’re not the same person you were going in. That’s what the storm is all about._ ”

The next morning found Taeyong still up, sitting at Jaehyun’s bedside. The witch was reading something, turning the pages every few moments. He didn’t notice Jaehyun was awake until the younger man spoke.

“Good read?”

Taeyong looked up, eyes widening. “Jaehyun!”

“Hey.” The younger man coughed a little, putting a hand to his forehead, but still managed a smile. “Nice to see you.”

“Um, you too. How are you feeling?”

“Better.” Jaehyun pushed himself up, groaning. “I’m a little … foggy on everything that happened.”

Taeyong closed his book. “You came up the mountain to meet me even though there was a storm building and got caught in it. I found you in the woods.”

“With … Magic?”

“Yes.”

“How did you even know I was out there?”

Taeyong inclined his head.

“Magic, right.” Jaehyun exhaled a small laugh and ran a hand through his hair. It was a bit stringy, dirty from the mud and rainwater, but Taeyong wanted to follow the motion with his own fingers anyway.

“Jaehyun, I …” Taeyong trailed off, caught his breath, tried again. This was something he needed to say. “I’m sorry.”

The younger man looked startled. “Sorry? What are you sorry for? You just saved my life! You went out in the middle of a storm to find me in the woods! You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“But I _do_ ,” Taeyong stressed. “Because I … I was a coward, and I waited so long because I thought I could, and I … almost didn’t get a chance to say it.”

Jaehyun’s eyes were wary. “Say what?”

Taeyong stared at him a moment. In the wake of the storm, the sun had returned, burning through the clouds that morning and dissipating the fog and mist still clinging to the treetops. Soft, warm light streamed in through the window on the far side of the room, falling over Jaehyun’s features. God, he was so beautiful. Taeyong felt something rise up in his chest as he moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

“Jaehyun.” He reached up, slowly, giving the younger man a chance to move away. He didn’t, though, so Taeyong kept going until his fingers brushed the line of Jaehyun’s jaw. “… I’m not very good with words, but I just—I need to tell you something.”

“Okay?”

“I—” _I was so scared I was going to lose you. I don’t ever want to lose you._

“Taeyong?”

Realizing words weren’t going to work, Taeyong decided to switch tactics. Hoping he’d read the signs right, hoping the Magic flowing around him was right, Taeyong cupped Jaehyun’s face in his hands and pressed a gentle kiss to those pretty, pink lips.

Jaehyun gasped, a soft noise of surprise falling from his mouth. Taeyong wanted to catch it with his own, so he did, leaning in again and deepening the kiss this time. Their lips slanted against each other, and the moment Jaehyun wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him close was the moment Taeyong realized what the Sun card meant for him.

For them.

“ _Taeyong_ ,” Jaehyun breathed. “Oh my God, I thought you were never going to do that.”

Taeyong gave a soft chuckle. “I’m sorry I made you wait so long.”

“It was worth it.”


End file.
